The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Each year, there are over 34,000 fatalities resulting from automotive accidents in the United States alone. Of these fatalities, it is estimated that more than 17,000 were not wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.
One of the most common reasons people do not wear seatbelts revolves around comfort. Unlike earlier models which included spring loaded adjustable locks, modern automotive seatbelts do not allow a user to control the tension of the belt when it is in use. As a result, the seatbelt applies a constant pressure to the thighs, neck breastbone and shoulders of the user. This constant pulling motion can wrinkle clothing and cause pain to those individuals suffering from ailments in the portions of the body where the seatbelt makes contact. Moreover, children are especially prone to unclip their seatbelt due to this constant pressure applied by the mechanism.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a device capable of allowing a user to quickly and easily adjust a seatbelt tension that does not interfere with the vehicle safety features incorporated into the seatbelt itself, the vehicle air bags, vehicle weight sensors, and/or seat belt alarms.